When I was a young man, I had to kick and scratch and claw Now it's like top gun in the Old West, everybody wants me to draw If I had known it would be like this I might have given it a second thought But if someone had told me to give it up, it's a line that I wouldn't have bought Look at me I'm the great white hope Can't you see I'm up against the ropes Don't you know It's so hard to cope When you feel Like the great white hope Now you've paid your money you're sitting in your ringside seat And I know that some of you out there, might wanna see the champ get beat If I had known it would be like this I might have given it a second thought But real life sure isn't like school, there's some lessons that just can't be taught Look at me I'm the great white hope Can't you see I'm up against the ropes Don't you know It's so hard to cope When you feel Like the great white hope